Nelson Men Clean Up SWS Conference Awards

The Southwestern States Intercollegiate Conference (SWS) has announced its 2025-26 men's basketball postseason awards today, with the Nelson Warriors taking at least one spot in each category, a strong showing led by second-year head coach Kole Ebert, who was named Coach of the Year in his second season, first full season at the helm.

Since taking over the program in November 2024, Ebert has compiled a 40-17 record, guiding the Warriors to a dominant late-season surge, including winning 11 of their last 13 games, and positioning the club with a position to win the conference tournament, and a third consecutive NCCAA National Tournament berth.

Zoe Holman earned the conference's Most Valuable Player award along with All-Conference First Team honors in his debut season with Nelson after transferring from Compton College. The electric junior guard is averaging 16.3 points per game on 49.6% shooting from the field and 35.5% from three, while adding 4.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists across 29 games. His most explosive stretch came from December 18 through January 22, where he averaged 21.0 points on 55.8% shooting (including strong perimeter efficiency), along 3.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists over six games, leading the Warriors to a 5-1 record during that span.

Orlando Gonzales was also selected to the All-Conference First Team in his second season as a full-time starter for the Warriors. The veteran guard is averaging 12.4 points on 38.9% shooting from beyond the arc, along with 3.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists over 25 appearances. Known as a pure sniper from deep, Gonzales has made at least one three-pointer in 20 games this season, draining three or more seven times, and nailing six twice. His best performance came on February 8, 2025, when he poured in 22 points (including a career-high 6 threes) with 5 assists in a 100-75 win over rival Justice.

Terrin Ross earned All-Conference Second Team honors for the second straight season in his second year with the program. The senior forward is averaging 12.1 points on 51.1% shooting from the field, along with 6.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. A beast around the rim and on the glass, Ross had a dominant stretch from December 30 through February 11, pulling down at least 10 rebounds six times and averaging 10.1 boards per game – including a season-high 15 on January 29. He entered Senior Night just 50 points shy of 1,000 for his career at Nelson.

Calvin Windley was named to the All-Conference Third Team in his third season with the Warriors, his first career all-conference nod. The junior is averaging 11.1 points on an efficient 56.9% shooting from the field, along with 7.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists across 27 games. He appears to be heating up as the season progresses, averaging 14.2 points over his last 10 outings (including a career-high 29 points on January 17) while grabbing 6.4 rebounds during that stretch.

Wyatt Mackay rounded out the honors with All-Conference Honorable Mention in his first season at Nelson. The sophomore is averaging 10.6 points on 54.3% shooting from the field and 41.7% from three, along with 4.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists over 29 games. Like Windley, Mackay has caught fire late in the year, averaging 11.8 points over the team's most recent 12 games with a blistering 57.9% clip from beyond the arc during that span.

The Warriors host the SWS Conference Championship game on Saturday night at 7pm at the Scott Activity Center when they take on the Justice Lions, whom they split the season-series, 1-1.

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